Portland Trail Blazers hold key to Lakers returning to contender status

The Los Angeles Lakers have been working the trade market long enough that many are beginning to believe that it's not being worked at all. The Lakers continue to plan for the future, however, with a reported hope to execute a trade before the start of the 2024-25 season.

As trade rumors swirl and Los Angeles continues to shy away from what's available to it, all roads seem to lead back to the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Lakers and Trail Blazers have been linked in trade rumors throughout the summer. At the heart of those conversations has been 30-year-old Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant, who's operating along a different timeline than the franchise's rebuilding initiative.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports reported ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft that the Lakers are one of the teams interested in trading for Grant.

"Jerami Grant, a client of Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul, is believed to be another potential addition on the Lakers’ wishlist, according to league sources."

With a Klutch Sports connection and a skill set that would seemingly fit perfectly with the Lakers, it's easy to see why Grant has surfaced on the radar.

Jerami Grant is an ideal Lakers target—on paper

Grant is coming off of a season in which he averaged 21.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.1 three-point field goals made. He shot 40.2 percent from beyond the arc, marking the second consecutive season in which he buried at least 40 percent of his threes.

It was par for the course from Grant, who has accumulated averages of 20.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 0.9 blocks, 0.8 steals, and 2.1 three-point field goals made since 2020-21.

An excellent three-point shooter who can attack closeouts and has a history of strong defensive play, Grant would fit perfectly alongside Anthony Davis and LeBron James. At this stage of their respective careers, he's essentially a more productive version of Lakers starter Rui Hachimura.

The hurdles, of course, are that Grant is also four years older, paid significantly more, and has a list of injury concerns that have put a potential trade into a less ideal perspective.

Grant is entering the second season of a backloaded five-year, $160 million contract. He's owed $29,793,104 for the 2024-25 season, which is $12,793,104 more than what Los Angeles is currently paying Hachimura.

Throw in the fact that Grant has missed at least 28 games in two of the past three seasons, and we get to the real reason all roads run through Portland: Anfernee Simons.

Anfernee Simons is the answer to the Lakers' star guard woes

Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian recently shook things up by reporting on The Drive Guys on Sactown Sports 1140 that Grant isn't the only player whom Portland is shopping. Per Fentress, the Trail Blazers are also considering potential trade options for Simons.

The icing on the cake for a Lakers team that's looking to get a trade done: Portland wants to move either Grant or Simons by the start of training camp.

"I would be surprised if Jerami [Grant] or Anfernee Simons, if one of the two is not moved. I was told that's definitely the goal, that one of the two will probably be gone before training camp."

That's a massive development that the Lakers would be wise to stay on top of,

Simons, 25, has increased his production across each of the past three seasons. In 2023-24, he set career-best averages of 22.6 points, 5.5 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.5 free throws made per game while also knocking down 3.4 three-point field goals per contest.

In addition to ranking among the most productive guards in the NBA, Simons is a genuinely elite shooter, as only partially reflected by his slash line of .430/.385/.916.

Simons' three-point field goal percentage jumps to 42.7 percent in catch-and-shoot situations. He also buried 49.0 percent of his field goal attempts off of drives, which speaks to his three-level scoring ability that the right coach could bring to an All-Star level.

Compounded by the fact that he's taken on a facilitating role without becoming careless with the ball, committing a reasonable 2.7 turnovers per game, Simons would be a dream acquisition for the Lakers.

Whether it's Grant or Simons, the reality facing the Lakers is that Portland has become the most viable option for a potential trade partner. While other teams are setting their lineups, the Trail Blazers are looking to create playing time for their next generation of starters.

As a result of that shift in focus, Portland is willing to trade one of its two best players to make room for its future top talent to develop.

It's been a long and frankly bizarre road to where the Lakers are today, but patience could prove virtuous after all if Rob Pelinka calls the Trail Blazers and works out a deal for one of the most productive guards or one of the best 3-and-D forwards in the NBA.

Whether it's Grant or Simons, the bottom line is that Los Angeles' path to contending again can be facilitated by a quick detour in Portland.